All-league selections are slowly trickling their way to our inboxes. It also means an uptick in those conversations we have with coaches where they talk about how political the all-league selection process has become.

It’s something everyone talks about, but also something no one wants anyone to know they’re talking about, out of fear of ruffling feathers and having other coaches take it out on their players during the selection process.

Look, it’s not a problem specific to Colorado. We all know that. It happens all over the country.

But over the years I’ve heard stories of coaches “trading” all-league picks, in an “I’ll-vote-for-your-guy-if-you-vote-for-mine” kind of way.

I’ve heard of a coach refusing to vote for a kid because his wife didn’t like the wife of the coach who the kid played for.

I’ve heard of coaches deciding to shut out a team because that team was simply too good, and they thought the school needed to move up a classification.

No, it’s not a hard-fast rule that applies to every head coach in the state, but egos have gotten out of control. Too often one coach refuses to vote for another team’s players based on a poor relationship with that team’s coach, or any other ridiculous scenario that has nothing to do with the actual kids they’re voting for — be it a general poor attitude toward a school, being looked over for a job, or a run-in with a parent.

Miss a coaches’ meeting? Well, you can forget seeing anyone from your roster on the all-league team. Other coaches view it as a slap in the face.

You see, in these coaches’ twisted thinking, having those kids make an all-league would reflect well on that coach. And who can have that?

All-league, sadly, is no longer about the kids. It’s become about the coaches.